Think Progress

Congressman carries out mass firing of investigative staff.

Powerful House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-CA), who is currently under federal investigation for corruption charges, has “fired 60 investigators who had worked for his committee rooting out fraud, waste and abuse, effective immediately.” According to Congressional Quarterly, “The investigators were contract workers, brought on to handle the extraordinary level of fraud investigations facing the panel.”



50 Responses to “Congressman carries out mass firing of investigative staff.”

  1. Zooey says:

    Poor timing on the smokescreen Rep Lewis.


  2. s says:

    uh…..does anyone need further proof that the USA has entered the Twilight Zone? I mean………….our country is dying folks. Either we wake up and get with the program now ( get busy livin ) or get busy dyin. Mike Malloy is right on. I don’t care how foamin at the mouth he may be…he is right. What in the hell will it take to wake us up? Is the shredding of our Constitution not enough? How many neighbors have to “disappear” before we know that something is rotten in Denmark? eh? Seriously.


  3. Cheney/Voldemort 2008 Campaign HQ says:

    Of course, why on Earth should there be any investigation of our Glorious Republican Leadership?

    Scum, the whole lot of them!


  4. Dog_named_Boo says:

    holy frozen scandals


  5. ScrewBush says:

    Is there really anything left to say about this band of theives?

    American, put down the crack, wake up.


  6. james+k.+sayre says:

    Your Bush crime family hard at world, trying to keep ‘Merica free, ya know? Free of oversight, free of investigation, free of democracy (oops)…
    Cheers.


  7. Greg says:

    NEWS – YOU HAVE TO READ THIS – NEWS – OFF TOPIC BUT SUPER IMPORTANT.

    I heard on FOX News today that the US is going to be handing over Military Calls to SOUTH KOREA… which will include all US Military Members to be under SOUTH KOREAN MILITARY LEADERSHIP…

    aka…

    ”US TROOPS UNDER SOUTH KOREAN MILITARY COMMAND”

    According to the report, since the Korean War the United States has been calling the shots in South Korea. Now the US is going to be handing over this responsibility to S. Korea.

    I don’t know about you guys out there, but this is a major CAMPAIGN issue in my opinion.

    This could and SHOULD use this is a POLITICAL WEAPON against Team Bush and his followers.


  8. Jay says:

    The Cheney administration and the sycophantic GOP legislature, by every measure
    that the American public has the capacity to absorb, have been the single most destructive force ever unleashed upon our once great nation. Except for them, the hell that’s been unleashed has been fruitful.
    They’ve shifted vast power to the Executive branch in the cloak of secrecy, signing statements, the gutting of our Constitution, legalization of torture, elimination of habeas corpus, etc.
    They’ve made obscene profits for their military/industrial allies, Big Oil, banking/credit (thanks for the help there Sen. Biden), with terror as their excuse. All on our dime.
    They’ve appointed two rightwing allies to the SC, shifitng the balance of power in the highest court in the land, granting themselves protection on matters of grave seriousness. there will be no accountability or justice served from within.
    They have weakened our social systems with deep cuts, undermined our unions and pulled the rug out from under the middle class, making higher education less attainable and the option of joining the military the only resort for many instead of a palatable alterntive.
    They have entrenched U.S. military power in the heart of the worlds primary source of fossil fuels. Casualties, for them, are a small price to pay for this level of geopolitical influence.
    When they say things are going well……they mean it. it’s going well for them and the 2% club. The rest of us can eat cake.
    They have solidified their control of the very foundation of our democracy. They count the votes.

    I pray for a mutiny.


  9. Keith+Gore+Wiseman says:

    The Party of Nixon did something similar during Watergate. I just hope they will leave office without National Guard action after the election and/or their respective convictions for war crimes and corruption.


  10. Dan says:

    If this doesn’t raise red flags to the FBI and the local press, I don’t know what else will.

    This is bold-faced contempt for accountability. Pure and simple.


  11. s says:

    I too pray for a mutiny


  12. Wayne says:

    Typical of the repukes. Fire those who could investigate you, cover up for a pedophile raiding the page’s dorms, take away Habeus corpus, trample on the Constitution.

    Nothing these Pukes do any more supprises me. Hypocritical, lying, 2 faced scumbags all.

    As for the Democrats that voted to gut the constitution, Hypocritical, lying, 2 faced scumbags is too weak for you guys. You should have known better. You should have more than the 1 brain cell the Repukes share.

    Do I sound pissed off?
    You betcha I am.


  13. s says:

    I agree about the Dems who voted to gut the Constitution.
    There was no excuse. I called Debbie Stabenow’s office ( Congresswoman from Michigan) and told her I had always voted for her. ( She voted to gut the Constitution. ) I said, I’d never vote for her again…ever. Her office person asked if they could send a “letter of explanation” from Stabenow to me as to why she voted for “no more habeus corpus.” As a Michigan resident I’ve also gotten two recorded calls from her about “good votes” she’s cast. She’s scared. Anyway, back to my call to her office. I said….don’t send any letters of explanation to me…..there is no excuse for her vote…….period.


  14. Josh+P. says:

    I e-mailed all 12 Democrats that voted in favor. I have only received 3 responses…


  15. trueblue says:

    You realize that you mutineers can be imprisioned indefinately under the boy king’s rule…..


  16. s says:

    What do you think trueblue…….you don’t think we realize it? Are you trying to scare us or are you just stupid? Get a life


  17. trueblue says:

    ummm,
    I’m on your side.

    But you have no friend in me from now on.

    I’ve only been posting here for like a year+, but really, paint me with your wide brush.
    Love it.
    Was simply pointing out the whole Habeas thing…..


  18. libra says:

    We have Waxman.. What do we need piddly Lewis for?


  19. eLad in MO says:

    The Monday Night Massacre, a la 2006. Don’t worry, the liberal media will be all over this story for the next 24 hours and then you just… BWAAA WAAA HAAA. YEAH RIGHT!

    Save me a seat in that hand basket, folks. We’re losing this grand experiment right in front of our very own eyes. Anybody up for a round of Truth and Reconciliation Court 1Q07? Any takers, we got a lot of ground to cover.


  20. s says:

    I apologize trueblue…I misunderstood you.


  21. eLad+in+MO says:

    …We’re all screwed as long as we no longer have rights people had 700 years ago…

    700? Try 7 years ago.


  22. trueblue says:

    700? Try 7 years ago.

    Comment by eLad+in+MO

    When the frig did I become the troll here?

    eLad-
    It’s been almost 6 years since Bush has been President.
    Jan. 2001.

    Not 7.
    Plus, I was talking about how all us “traitors” could be thrown in jail!
    Reading Comprehension a problem tonight, or should I simply write off TP; the site I’ve been posting on longer than anyone else I’ve read tonight?

    WTF?
    Talk about turning on your own…..


  23. Spudge_Boy says:

    trueblue,

    Yo ain’t a troll by any means.


  24. s says:

    I think we’re all really pissed and on edge and it is more than understandable. We are all saying basically the same thing and that is this: we won’t give up, nor stop fighting. That is a good thing…………..it ain’t over till the fat lady…..etc.


  25. trueblue says:

    Hi Spudge_Boy!!!

    Now here comes a veteran of TP!

    Thanks for your kind words!


  26. eLad in MO says:

    I’ll yell ‘ya WTF.

    Try decaf, pal. It was simply 4 words and 1 number. With all due respect, Mr. TP, I don’t give a rats ass if you were posting here months before me. Tone is often lost over these impersonal postings, but you made yours completely clear, you big lug. [/wink]


  27. Vincennes says:

    Anybody else think that Jerry Lewis looks like Peter Graves?


  28. whichwitch says:

    Gee, I wonder what other things they uncovered which we will never know about. Perhaps these 60 deep throats will come forward before the election and tell us all about the dirty little discoveries they have made. I do believe we have only seen the tip of the iceberg and what lies below is far uglier then we can all imagine.

    Hold on to your socks every one, the sh-t is about to hit the perverbial fan.


  29. eLad in MO says:

    G’nite all. I’ll dream of waking to the morning shows covering Lewis’ Monday Night Massacre.

    RIGHT!


  30. Bowdler says:

    My guess is that one of those 60 investigator must have struck quite a nerve. Of course if something winds up happening to one of them, we will know (thanks to Gen. Pace) that it was an act of god.


  31. Zooey says:

    Who peed on eLad in MO’s popcorn?


  32. GSD says:

    Jerry Lewis looks like Frank Drebin and is about as competent as Drebin too.

    -GSD


  33. Yikes says:

    Are the investigators going waterboarding soon ? They probably where on to something very big and ugly.


  34. clif says:

    Ides of Nixon?

    Hunter tries the Saturday night massacre cover-up technique.

    Just fire all those who are looking into your illegal schemes and maybe nobody will notice.

    It worked SO well for Richard Nixon when he tried it.


  35. GSD says:

    Look at these cretins in action again.

    Wasting no time in telling the courts to STFU.

    Habeus Corpus no more.

    -GSD


  36. Mr. Evil says:

    To anyone within the military or any other entity of the United States of America that took an oath of this nature:

    I, ___________________________________, do solemly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

    Notice the ‘and domestic’ part. That would mean it is their duty to confront George Bush as an enemy of the constitution. On the other hand, it also states that ‘I will obey the orders of the President’.

    I’m sure there are a great many people beholden to that oath that are wondering just what to do. All George Bush has to do is issue orders to protect him at all costs. But, can anyone here confirm that military personnel are obligated to disobey orders if they are unsound or just plain stupid? This country is in dire need of some true patriots right now. And I mean the ones that are patriotic to the constitution and the bill of rights and the declaration of independence. Not just a pseudo-patriot to the PNAC cabal headed by Dick(head) Cheney.


  37. VulcanMike says:

    So how long will it take for the fraud information to leak from these 60 people? It’s gotta be like finding a needle in a haystack with that many folks involved.


  38. Jay Randal says:

    How does Rep. Jerry Lewis have a right to fire 60 investigators? Who died and made him king? That committee has other members, so they all would need to vote to fire them! Since Lewis thinks he can do anything he wants, then the Democrats must walk out of the Congress and refuse to participate! As for Lewis he must either resign or be sent to prison!


  39. eLad in MO says:

    As expected, nary a peep from the “liberal” media regarding Lewis’ firing of investigators last night. Luckily, we still have talk radio to expose the outrageous conduct of … BWAA WAAA HAAA!

    YEAH RIGHT!


  40. Archibald Cox says:

    What’s the big deal?


  41. Ken says:

    I notice that (according to Google News, at least) no MSM outlet has picked this story up. Seems like this sort of thing would be gift-wrapped for the opposition – where are the Dems and Indeps?


  42. Zimzone says:

    Jerry Lewis, the comedian, would make a better
    congressman. At least he could make us laugh,
    instead of making us nervous.
    ‘Firing 60 investigators?’
    WTF?


  43. Congressman who oversees investigations of Congressional corruption, who is himself being investigated for corruption, fires sixty investigators effective immediately » The Allen Almanac says:

    [...] Think Progress via reddit: Powerful House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-CA), who is currently under federal investigation for corruption charges, has “fired 60 investigators who had worked for his committee rooting out fraud, waste and abuse, effective immediately.” According to Congressional Quarterly, “The investigators were contract workers, brought on to handle the extraordinary level of fraud investigations facing the panel.” [...]


  44. wisedup says:

    We see the bushgang learned NOTHING from nixons ‘tricky dick’ mistakes…this will not fly…


  45. PatrioticLiberalChristian(PLC) says:

    50 wisedup

    The people Bush surrounded himself with ARE Nixon’s Mistakes, who learned nothing reasonable when they were part of the Nixon administration then and learn nothing reasonable now that they are the administration.


  46. Will says:

    What astounds me is not that the politicians are doing these things, but I am falt out incredulous that there hasn’t been a march on Washington, bats & molotov cocktails included. Where’s the outrage? Even the democrats should be drooling over the election candy the reps are giving them. They could stand up and demand each and every one of these people resign. None of the reps would resign, but the dems would win a LOT of votes by demanding it. What I can’t figure out is: Why? I know the tinfoil-hat brigades answer, but if that’s true, then we’re doomed.


  47. wmd says:

    This just defies belief.
    Just how bad can it get ?


  48. Green says:

    I guess a person being investigated for corruption shouldn’t have investigators investigating fraud, waste and abuse. They just may turn up incriminating evidence against the man who hired them. ‘Cut and run’. LOL Amazing. Just how low can the Republicans go?


  49. Dave says:

    Your were expecting…. the easter bunny?


  50. ANTI-NAZI says:

    SICKENING NAZI FASCIST NATION will get the KARMA it deserves so well.



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